Sketches from the Book of Memories
by Alex T
Summary: "The place where we record those things you cannot trust to memory. A photo ... a sketch or a painting by Peeta. Then come all the details it would be a crime to forget ..." These are not complete entries in every case, more like vignettes of their work on the book. Rated T for now.


_A/N: I have had a few different ideas for this, and so I decided to put together a series of vignettes, but these will not necessarily be chronological to the HG universe. I thank Suzanne Collins for giving me such wonderful characters to play with, and am also grateful to Richard Adams for lending names to my OCs._

It's a sunny, mellow day, and now that the bakery is opened again, I am trying to learn to pull my share of the weight here at home, so I've been weeding our garden and just playing around in it, really.

Peeta comes home for lunch most days, so I stop late morning, pick a few vegetables, and head inside to make something for both of us.

My gardening abilities are only just coming along, but what I do love is the variety of fresh foods. So much of what we can grow now is exotic to me that it drives me to learn.

The government started a campaign to help with what they call 'food insecurity' as they continue to work on distributing resources more fairly from District to District. I was fairly suspicious of their pushing this on us at first, but I am grateful now for the seed packets they sent out to the districts earlier this year.

Pickles are delicious raw, for one thing, I think as a slice up a cucumber. And tomatoes taste a lot like ground cherries, but bigger and meatier. I slice off pieces of the roast we ate last night, pull out the trimmings, and count on him for the bread.

"I like you barefoot like that," he says from the kitchen door, surprising me, because I didn't hear him. I don't respond, because Peeta likes me breathing. I just smile to myself while he starts helping me, slicing bread for our sandwiches, setting the table.

"Rory is watching the counter this afternoon; think you might want to work on the memory book?"

"Well it's such a beautiful day ..."

He finishes chewing a bit of roast he has snatched up. "You're right, it is nice and sunny, we could always go out and work on the porch. See, I have something that came in the mail to my house this morning. I read it at work," he adds, tossing me an envelope.

_From: Hyzentha Boggs, District 13, Apartment 209_

_To: Peeta Mellark, District 12, Victor's Village_

I read the address marks out loud, shoot him a questioning look as I pull out the letter, but he just nods towards it. "Go ahead and read it."

Peeta corresponds with a lot of people that I wouldn't expect, since telephone lines are spotty everywhere but Victor Villages and the Capitol. Ends up, Haymitch is quite the letter writer as well. I don't really keep up with many people, though I have traded a few letters with Rue's family.

_Dear Peeta,_

_Thank you so much for your thoughtful accounting of the last hours of my husband's life. I understand what you were so careful to emphasize, that this is not entirely your first person knowledge, but please be assured it makes it all the more valuable to me to know that you went out of your way to find out from others and compile thier stories simply for my benefit._

_Campion Boggs was a proud man, a loving father, and a devoted husband. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life, but I am proud that I can tell our children he died honorably in a cause that he believed in. _

_My husband was closer to Alma Coin than anyone else in the world. His loyalties were often challenged, because he did owe a great deal to her mentorship of him earlier in his life when she was a less corrupt leader. Because of his closeness to her, I too, have a great deal more knowledge of her than the average Citizen of District 13. Some of us are currently working on having President Coin's papers be released for public consumption. Ah, well, I won't bore you with our local politics._

_On a personal note, I am so happy not only because of the contents of your letter, but because you are well enough to write it. To have been through so much at such a young age could very well have destroyed a lesser person than you, or than Katniss. I know Campion felt his duty to protect Katniss from you very keenly on his last mission, because he spoke of it to me after Coin sent you to join them. But I also know how pleased he would be now to learn that you have recovered your memories and your lucidity, as he considered the abuses of the Capitol against such a young person to be deeply, deeply offensive. Katniss sounds as if she is also doing well, and Campion would have thrilled to hear that too. He admired her capabilities very much, and was again very disturbed at the callous manner in which President Coin would use such a young girl. _

_I wish you both the best together, and hope you are able to form as peaceful and loving life with one another as he and I shared._

_District 13 remains unsteady in its relationship towards the provisional government of the former Panem. Political matters here are very undecided since Katniss fired her last public arrow, even though there are many of us who view her actions sympathetically and are actively working to live aboveground again as a district member of the new nation. In any case, I mention this because I want you to know that whatever ultimatley happens, you will both always have a friend and admirer here in District 13._

_I will keep your letter to show to Nelthilta and Avens as they grow up, so that they will never forget the memory of such a wonderful father._

_Yours truly,_

_Hyzentha Boggs_

"I had no idea that was what you were doing when you were asking me about Boggs dying," I admit, after I finish digesting this, wondering who else he talked to since she mentions 'others'. "It's a beautiful letter Peeta, you must have sent her something very special to her."

He looks embarrassed. "Katniss I remember exactly what I was doing when Boggs was dying," he says, wincing. "And that Boggs thought he or someone might need to kill me to protect you," he finishes with a shudder. Then his face relaxes. "What I sent her was nothing ... call it penance on my part. I just thought you might like to start on a section for him since we have this much to go on now."

I don't know what to say back to that. We eat quietly together. I keep returning to thinking about the last section of the letter, where she says she will show it to her children.

There's something I am trying to think of, to say I guess, but I can't remember what it is.

When he gets up to clear away the dishes, I wave my hands, because I have just remembered. "Oh, just leave it for now. Let's go out onto the porch. I think I know what I want you to draw, if you think you can do it."

He shoots me a cocky look. "I've heard that I'm considered pretty talented. You know, artistically," he concludes in a wry tone.

Once he has gathered up his charcoals and joined me, I start describing the memory I have finally retrieved. "I want a laughing Boggs, standing in the dining area of District 13, lifting a little boy up on his shoulders. The boy is 5 or 6, I guess, and he looks just like Boggs, except that his hair is reddish, and he is missing his right tooth in front."

While he works on parchment, I take a piece of much less valuable paper, and begin to work on something of my own.

_Dear Hyzentha,_

_Peeta has shared your gracious letter with me. I hadn't even known about the letter he had written to you, but it didn't really surprise me either. _

_Thank you so much for all your kind words on both of our behalf. _

_Peeta and I are working on a memory book of people who we have lost. People we loved, or respected, or admired, or all of these things. I want to send you a copy of the section for Boggs - sorry, I never knew him as Campion - once we are finished with it, but I would also like to ask for your help._

_If you feel like it is a worthwhile project, and don't mind taking the time to do so, we would love it if you could send us some biographical details, telling us more about Boggs life in general, the sort of things that could help us make his section fuller and more complete._

_Good luck to you and your children, you are right that they can always be proud of thier father._

_Your friend,_

_Katniss Everdeen_


End file.
